Pirates are a perennially popular subject, depicted often in songs, stories, and Halloween costumes. A Pirate's Life for She tells the story of sixteen women who through the ages sailed alongside their male counterparts. History has largely ignored these female swashbucklers, until now. Here are their stories, from ancient Norse princess Alfhild to Sayyida al-Hurra of the Barbary corsairs; from Grace O'Malley, who terrorized shipping operations around the British Isles during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, to Cheng I Sao, who commanded a fleet of 1,400 ships off China in the early 19th century. The author also looks beyond the fact that these women are not easy heroines: they are lawbreakers. Rather than defend their actions, A Pirate's Life  tells their full stories, focusing on the reasons why these women became pirates. These stories of women who took control of their own destinies in a world where the odds were against them will inspire young women to reach for their own dreams.